Musical Analysis #2

"Hello" By Adele

Released October 23rd 2015

Songwriters: Adele Adkins & Greg Kurstin

Producer: Greg Kurstin

Genre: Soul

Produced in Metropolis Studios, London

Adele - Hello (Lyrics) - YouTube

    “Hello” is a song by British singer-songwriter Adele, released on 23 October 2015 by XL Recordings as the lead single from her third studio album, 25 in 2015. Adele co-wrote the song with her producer, Greg Kurstin. The song is a piano ballad with soul influences, and lyrics that discuss themes of nostalgia and regret. "Hello" reached number one in almost every country it charted in, including the United Kingdom. It had sold 12.3 million units globally; combined sales and track-equivalent streams, and was the year’s 7th best-selling single while it stands as one of the best-selling singles of all-time.

    This song portrays on a very emotional level, and that's why I feel like I connect to this one the most. The most misconception of the lyrics is that most people believe is that she's singing about an ex lover. But if you really analyze the lyrics she's singing about not knowing herself and is talking to herself and coming to the realization of her past mistakes and who she is and who she wants to be. She was in her 20's and that's where I'm at with myself, if I could have a song explain where my state of mind is at right now, this song hits a home run for me. 

Lyrics:

    Adele explains in her lyrics how she regrets any sort of past relationships, friends, family, ex lovers, and how she wants to apologize and or make amends to be able to move on and find herself and since she hasn't been in touch with these people, the song was the best way to express how she felt. in the opening lines of "Hello," Adele is greeting someone, 

Hello, it's me

I was wondering if after all these years

You'd like to meet

To go over everything

These lines seem to state she's talking to her old self and is finally figuring out who she is after years of not realizing.

In the chorus, Adele says hello from two different places: "the outside" and "the other side." and it seems to refer not about location, but to thinking a bit beyond herself to better understand who she is now.

The "million miles" she says separates her from the person she's addressing aren't literal and comes off as emotional.  In four years, she's grown. "Hello," and by more songs in her album 25, are an exploration of what it's like to come together with yourself after such growth. 

With the release of this song, Adele seems to be saying she has been in this cocoon and is now ready to introduce the inner beautiful butterfly to the world. 

Melody:

    In this song and most of Adele's songs, her pitch is an alto soprano which means the beginning of her songs she sings in an alto, a lower voice and then she reaches a soprano in the chorus of the song which is a higher pitch. You can hear the sadness in the alto pitch and emotion and then it gets powerful to the soprano pitch and strength, like a story where she resents how she acted towards people in the past and then realizes she knows who she wants to be. 

Rhythm:

    The duration in most of the lyrics are more drawn out and the notes are held for a longer amount of time. The structure is consistent and will go from:

Verse 1

Pre-Chorus

Chorus

Verse 2

Pre-Chorus

Chorus 

Bridge

Chorus

The vocal scales go up and down on the bridge and last chorus, and then build up to higher notes that are hard to hit.

Texture:

    "Hello" is considered a classical ballad, with harmonics. The vocals were sort of compressed but it seems as if that is to keep the listener in tuned to the story. I believe the song would be homophonic, because the vocals are the main melody line.

Tone Color:

    Drums, synthesizers, guitar, strings, and bass but mostly the piano and is soft and was not too separated from the bass notes to high notes. Also the drum beats are there but snuck in to not take away from the singing. 

    All in all, for a seemingly simple song, it is a very powerful one that I feel expressed exactly what Adele was trying to say as far as her life. When I hear this song, it reminds me to be proud of myself and move past the mistakes I've made. I absolutely love this song and enjoyed digging deep into the background of it and not just the storyline but how much work it took to create it. The musical side of things still goes over my head but I think I understood some of it. I'm just one of those people that listens to a song and find it catchy but don't think too much of the instrumentation and musical elements too. 

Zollo, Paul. “Behind The Song: ‘Hello’ by Adele.” American Songwriter, 20 May 2020, americansongwriter.com/adele-hello-behind-the-song/. 

pureMix. “Mix Analysis: Hello - Adele.” Mix Analysis: Hello - Adele | PureMix.net, PureMix, 21 Aug. 2020, www.puremix.net/mixcheck-mix-analysis/hello-adele.html.

“Adele.” Adele & The 6 Elements Of Music, oliviahuffer.weebly.com/.